paint chips are one of the few downsides to this car. it's a combination of how it sits on the road and the paint formulation. good news is that after a year or so, the paint chipping slows way down (at least it did for me). there are folks on this site that have bras, stone guards for wheels, mud flaps, and whatever that clear plastic 3M material is for the hood. benefits of ea. I leave to others.